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day 187: marinated sirloin spring rollshttps://cookwithmir.wordpress.com/2018/02/26/day-187-marinated-sirloin-spring-rolls/
https://cookwithmir.wordpress.com/2018/02/26/day-187-marinated-sirloin-spring-rolls/#respondMon, 26 Feb 2018 03:12:58 +0000http://cookwithmir.wordpress.com/?p=1758I love a meal with some interactivity and rice paper rolls are the perfect option to change things up a little bit. All it takes is a little food prep in advance and everyone gets the chance to customize their meal to their own personal preferences. And what could be more refreshing than a veggie-packed rice paper roll? I like to make mine with this marinated sirloin as a protein option, alongside my veggies, herbs, noodles, and dipping sauces.

Ingredients:

For the sirloin:

1 lb sirloin

1 lime, juiced and zested

4 cloves minced garlic

2 tb soy sauce

A few drops worcestershire (or a tb fish sauce)

2 tsp brown sugar

Salt and pepper

Sriracha (1/2 tsp)

1 tsp sesame oil

For filling:- just some ideas! feel free to mix and match fillings as desired

Let marinate in the refrigerator for somewhere between half an hour and 2 hours.

Cook in a skillet with a teaspoon of sesame oil for about 3-5 minutes or until browned and only slightly pink in the middle.

Remove from heat. Set out, along with your rice paper, and prepared fillings. Serve with dipping sauces, like sriracha, soy sauce, or peanut sauce.

]]>https://cookwithmir.wordpress.com/2018/02/26/day-187-marinated-sirloin-spring-rolls/feed/0cookwithmirIMG_8560day 186: slow cooker carnitashttps://cookwithmir.wordpress.com/2018/02/19/day-186-slow-cooker-carnitas/
https://cookwithmir.wordpress.com/2018/02/19/day-186-slow-cooker-carnitas/#respondMon, 19 Feb 2018 00:57:46 +0000http://cookwithmir.wordpress.com/?p=1746There’s something so unctuously tempting about the smell of slow-cooking meat. Personally, pork carnitas is a wonderful go-to meal for a big batch of food for dinner with lots of leftovers and minimal weeknight work. For this recipe, with a little prep work, you can literally set it and forget it for a big flavor pay-off. Topping with some cilantro, some cotija cheese, some tomato and avocado, maybe a little onion and lime juice, this recipe makes for a killer dinner (and snacks/meals for days to come).

Ingredients:

4 1/2 lb pork shoulder

1 tb chili powder

2 tsp cumin

2 tsp ground oregano

2 tsp salt

2 tsp pepper

8 cloves of garlic

1 onion, quartered

2 oranges, quartered

2 limes, halved

2 bay leaves

1 cup broth (preferably chicken)

After prepping your ingredients by slicing the onion, oranges, and limes and peeling the garlic cloves, set all of the ingredients into a slow-cooker or Crockpot, making sure to cover the pork shoulder with the different spices and rubbing them in gently to ensure for an even flavor distribution. Set the crock pot to cook for 8 hours.

That evening, or whenever your meat is done cooking, simply remove the pork shoulder from the crockpot and transfer to a large bowl or container. Gently, using a fork, shred the meat. It should basically just fall apart. If desired, mix in a little bit of the broth from the crockpot. Prep your toppings- again, I recommend some fresh cheese, avocado, tomato, cilantro, and red onion, but this is really up to you. Then, just plate up to your heart’s desire, serving on warm tortillas.

]]>https://cookwithmir.wordpress.com/2018/02/19/day-186-slow-cooker-carnitas/feed/0cookwithmirIMG_8850.JPGday 185: edamame dumplingshttps://cookwithmir.wordpress.com/2018/01/08/day-185-edamame-dumplings/
https://cookwithmir.wordpress.com/2018/01/08/day-185-edamame-dumplings/#commentsMon, 08 Jan 2018 04:45:17 +0000http://cookwithmir.wordpress.com/?p=1725I’d been planning on trying to make these bad boys since a friend (who was vegetarian at the time) bonded with me over dumplings and insisted that I give making these a shot. I was worried about the texture of the soybeans in practice, but wow, these were surprisingly good! Then again, how often is fried food truly and really bad?

To each wonton wrapper, add about a teaspoon to a teaspoon and a half of the filling and seal the wonton in half along a diagonal with a wet finger.

Heat about an inch and a half of vegetable oil in a walled pan. Add the dumplings a few at a time, cooking until the dumplings are golden brown on both sides.

Serve warm with scallions on top.

]]>https://cookwithmir.wordpress.com/2018/01/08/day-185-edamame-dumplings/feed/1IMG_8385cookwithmirday 178: Chicken Parmesanhttps://cookwithmir.wordpress.com/2017/12/04/day-178-chicken-parmesan/
https://cookwithmir.wordpress.com/2017/12/04/day-178-chicken-parmesan/#respondMon, 04 Dec 2017 20:31:12 +0000http://cookwithmir.wordpress.com/?p=1712What’s more comforting than a warm, cheesy piece of chicken parmesan with a side of pasta? I’m pleasantly surprised at my attempt at this dish! It has a great ratio of crispy crust to cheese to tomato sauce. Yum!

Ingredients:

4 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless

2 cups flour

4 eggs

1 1/2 cups panko bread crumbs

1 tsp dried parsley

1 lb mozzarella

1/2 cup parmesan

tomato sauce of your choosing (fresh or from the jar!)

abt 1 cup vegetable oil for frying

Start by pounding the chicken breasts until thin and lightly season with salt and pepper on each side

Mix flour with some salt and pepper and place in a shallow bowl. In another bowl, combine the panko breadcrumbs with the parsley. In a third bowl, lightly beat the eggs with some more salt and pepper.

Dredge each chicken piece in the flour, then egg, then panko breadcrumbs and set aside.

Heat the oil in a pan until shimmering. Add a chicken breast, cooking until golden on each side and crisped. Repeat until all are cooked.

Place the fried chicken on a cookie sheet. Top with a few tablespoons of the tomato sauce.

Slice the mozzarella and grate the parmesan. Add 2-3 slices of mozzarella and a handful of parmesan to the top of each chicken breast.

Bake in a 425 degree oven for 5 minutes or until the cheese has melted and started to brown.

Remove from oven and serve hot.

]]>https://cookwithmir.wordpress.com/2017/12/04/day-178-chicken-parmesan/feed/0img_8259cookwithmirday 183: spinach pestohttps://cookwithmir.wordpress.com/2017/11/04/day-183-spinach-pesto/
https://cookwithmir.wordpress.com/2017/11/04/day-183-spinach-pesto/#commentsSat, 04 Nov 2017 14:53:46 +0000http://cookwithmir.wordpress.com/2017/11/04/day-183-spinach-pesto/I love the extra burst of green that fresh spinach adds to a pesto, already the perfect lighter option when it comes to a delicious pasta choice. This sauce is so easy to make and so worth the little time you’ll put into it. Ingredients:

1 lb pasta

15 leaves basil

2 cups spinach

1/4 lemon, juiced

Zest of a lemon

3 cloves garlic

Salt and pepper

1/4 cup olive oil

1/3 parmesan

Start by cooking pasta according to directions on package.

Meanwhile, in a food processor, pulse together the spinach and basil leaves until they form a paste at the bottom of the processor.

Add in the garlic cloves and process until finely minced and combined with the greens.

Drizzle in the lemon juice and add the lemon zest.

Slowly pour the olive oil into the processor while pulsing until everything comes together to form your desired consistency.

Add in the parmesan and pulse a few more times to distribute.

Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Toss with warm pasta and serve.

]]>https://cookwithmir.wordpress.com/2017/11/04/day-183-spinach-pesto/feed/1cookwithmirday 182: pumpkin pastahttps://cookwithmir.wordpress.com/2017/11/03/day-182-pumpkin-pasta/
https://cookwithmir.wordpress.com/2017/11/03/day-182-pumpkin-pasta/#respondFri, 03 Nov 2017 03:37:25 +0000http://cookwithmir.wordpress.com/2017/11/03/day-182-pumpkin-pasta/I can’t think of anything more seasonally appropriate to start off the month of November than this pumpkin pasta. It’s rich, comforting, and tasted like the holidays- in other words, the perfect way to welcome the first hints of colder weather and cozy up. I love the depth that a hint of nutmeg adds to this sauce.

Ingredients:

1 lb pasta

4 cloves garlic

1 tbsp butter

1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin purée

1 cup chicken or vegetable broth

1 tbsp olive oil

1/2 tsp red pepper

1/2 cup half and half

1/2 cup parmesan

1/8 tsp nutmeg

1 1/2 tsp paprika

salt and pepper

Cook the pasta according to package instructions. Reserve a half cup of pasta water

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large saucepan and add the garlic and olive oil. Cook until fragrant.

Add the pumpkin purée to the pan and combine with the garlic.

Add in the broth and scrape the bottom of the pan as you combine.

Stir in the red pepper flakes, nutmeg, and paprika.

Add in the half and half and the parmesan, stirring until melted and fully combined.

Add the reserved pasta water and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Toss with the prepared warm pasta and serve with extra cheese if desired.

]]>https://cookwithmir.wordpress.com/2017/11/03/day-182-pumpkin-pasta/feed/0img_8804cookwithmirday 181: gnocchi with brown butter saucehttps://cookwithmir.wordpress.com/2017/11/02/day-181-gnocchi-with-brown-butter-sauce/
https://cookwithmir.wordpress.com/2017/11/02/day-181-gnocchi-with-brown-butter-sauce/#respondThu, 02 Nov 2017 04:52:10 +0000http://cookwithmir.wordpress.com/2017/11/02/day-181-gnocchi-with-brown-butter-sauce/I love making gnocchi, but this decadent brown butter and herb sauce really took the dish to the next level. It’s just the right level of flavor without overwhelming the texture of the soft gnocchi. Yum!

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large saucepan until it begins to bubble. Add in sage and pepper flakes.

Cook until solids have begun to brown. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Add gnocchi to pan and toss along with parmesan to combine.

Serve hot.

]]>https://cookwithmir.wordpress.com/2017/11/02/day-181-gnocchi-with-brown-butter-sauce/feed/0img_8303cookwithmirday 177: rainbow cake 🌈https://cookwithmir.wordpress.com/2017/08/03/day-177-rainbow-cake-%f0%9f%8c%88/
https://cookwithmir.wordpress.com/2017/08/03/day-177-rainbow-cake-%f0%9f%8c%88/#respondThu, 03 Aug 2017 04:11:30 +0000http://cookwithmir.wordpress.com/2017/08/03/day-177-rainbow-cake-%f0%9f%8c%88/So I’m a big fan of the celebratory cake, especially as it gives me the chance to attempt to slightly improve my horrendous frosting skills. This particular cake was to commemorate the excitement I feel as I start prepping to leave for college. I first encountered this idea in American Girl magazine when I was seven or eight- it was the first ambitious baking project I ever took on. This one brought back all of the same joy and nostalgia.

​
Ingredients:

one box each red, orange, yellow, green, and blue jello

1 1/2 sticks butter

1 1/2 c sugar

2 c flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

6 egg whites

1 c milk

2 tsp vanilla extract (clear is better)

1 1/2 tsp almond extract

1 recipe white frosting of your choosing

Preheat an oven to 350. Grease as many 9-inch cake pans as you have- you’ll be cooking 5 layers.

Start by combining the flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Set aside.

In another bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

Alternately beat in the flour mix, eggs, and milk to the butter mixture until all has been added.

Stir in vanilla and almond extracts.

Divide batter into five bowls. Add a tablespoon of one flavor of jello to a bowl and repeat with others until you have five separate colors.

Bake each color layer individually in the prepared pans for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean once stuck in the cake’s center.

Let the layers cool completely.

Die your frosting lightly blue (or any other color! This is my preference)

Begin assembling cake in rainbow order with blue on the bottom and red on top, icing with the frosting in between each layer and on top and sides. Enjoy your little slice of the sky!

]]>https://cookwithmir.wordpress.com/2017/08/03/day-177-rainbow-cake-%f0%9f%8c%88/feed/0img_8216cookwithmirday 176: lemon&broccoli pasta https://cookwithmir.wordpress.com/2017/07/26/day-176-lemonbroccoli-pasta/
https://cookwithmir.wordpress.com/2017/07/26/day-176-lemonbroccoli-pasta/#respondWed, 26 Jul 2017 05:26:45 +0000http://cookwithmir.wordpress.com/2017/07/26/day-176-lemonbroccoli-pasta/I wasn’t sold at first on the idea of lemon feauturing so prominently in a pasta dish, but I have to say that this recipe truly won me over. The citrus doesn’t taste out of place; rather, it’s the contrary. The lemon is bright, happy, and (most of all) cohesive and adhesive as it brings together the rest of the dish.

Ingredients:

1 lb gemelli pasta

1 head broccoli, chopped into florets

1 tsp minced garlic

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

salt and pepper

Extra virgin olive oil (for cooking)

1/2 tsp fresh basil

2 lemons, juiced +one for slices

Start by cooking your pasta according to directions for an al dente cook.

Meanwhile, drizzle a pan with the olive oil. Add in the broccoli and garlic. Stir in the basil and red pepper.

Once broccoli is almost tender, stir in the juices of two lemons.

Add the cooked pasta to the pot with lemon sauce. Toss to combine thoroughly and add a few slices of lemon for flavor and color.

Serve and enjoy immediately.

]]>https://cookwithmir.wordpress.com/2017/07/26/day-176-lemonbroccoli-pasta/feed/0img_8178cookwithmirday 175: froot loops cookieshttps://cookwithmir.wordpress.com/2017/07/13/day-175-froot-loops-cookies/
https://cookwithmir.wordpress.com/2017/07/13/day-175-froot-loops-cookies/#respondThu, 13 Jul 2017 19:03:09 +0000http://cookwithmir.wordpress.com/2017/07/13/day-175-froot-loops-cookies/These cookies are bright, cheerful, and a welcome splash of color in the midst of a rainy week. I love the slightly fruity flavor of these sweets!

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cup sugar

2 sticks softened butter

1 egg

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp almond extract

2 1/4 cup flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

2 cups crushed Froot Loops, and a handful of uncrushed to decorate

Preheat an oven to 375 F.

Combine the flour, baking powder, and baking soda in a bowl and set aside.

Cream together the sugar and butter in another bowl. Mix in the egg and vanilla.

Gradually beat in the flour mixture. Stir in the crushed cereal and chill for half an hour.

Spoon the dough into rounded teaspoons on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes or until the edges are crisped and slightly browned.

Remove from oven and quickly press a few whole pieces of cereal into the top of each cookie. Let cool for another 5 minutes before eating.